Cas
We’re home.
Sitting around the table in the back room, the electric atmosphere is settling around us. I know I feel on top of the fucking world and by the looks of my brothers, they are too.
“Beneath our feet is the cunt responsible for everything that’s been happening to us lately. We will savour his death slowly and happily.”
Brothers bang their fists on the table and I have to hold my hand up to quieten them.
“Before we get to Danny, we need to talk about Dex. He’s been prospecting for us for nearly a year now and today he was the catalyst of tracking down our enemy.”
“Have you spoken with him yet?” Slade asks.
“I have,” I nod and carry on, “For some reason, Melissa latched onto him when we had her here and he was watching over her. After I let her go, she wanted to see him and he saw how Danny reacted when we took her so he thought he'd get close to her and she would lead him to Danny and in turn, lead him to us. Luckily, his plan worked.”
“It sounds shady to me,” Sparky mumbles, “Why didn’t he come to us and let us know what he was doing?”
“He was showing initiative,” I shrug.
I had high hopes for Dex when he first came to us. At twenty-six, he has seen more than his shares of troubles. He told me he didn’t want to feel alone any longer so I handed him a prospect patch.
“Do you trust him?” Slade asks.
I don’t hesitate to answer.
“I do, and I believe he was doing what he thought was right for the club.”
“What about the sister? Now we have Danny, and Dex having a connection with her, she might not fade away like we would’ve hoped.”
“Dex told me he used her, played her for us…”
“She isn’t exactly a pig is she, it wouldn’t be a strain to get hard for her,” Ricky grunts, and Pope raises his eyebrow at him.
“I’m just saying, he would’ve fucked her, you know, to keep up the pretence. He would’ve enjoyed her, he might not want to let her go.”
I laugh quietly to myself, Ricky being engaged to Kyla now, he isn’t going to get away with eyeing up other women, Pope is like a guard dog.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem, he wants the patch and he did what he did to make sure he got it. He’s loyalty is to us, for sure. It’s time to vote.”
I look around and remember the last time we called a vote to patch someone in. It feels so long ago now.
“I vote, yes,” I begin.
I look to Sparky and he nods his head, “Yes.”
“Pope?”
“I believe the kid, he has my vote. Yes.”
“Slade?”
He takes a little longer to answer but he smiles and says, “Yeah.”
“Ricky?”
“Yeah.”
“Does anyone else disagree?” I ask, looking around the room.
Heads shake and it’s decided, Dex is officially a Lost Soul.
“Call him in, Pope.”
I light a cigarette while I wait for him to join us and as the mood is high around here, I plan on having some fun with him before he gets the patch that’s tucked away in my pocket.
I exhale the smoke as he walks in and Pope closes the door behind them. No one looks at him and he shifts nervously from foot to foot.
He was worried earlier that the brothers wouldn’t understand his motives, assuming he was just after a piece of ass.
“I’m sorry, Dex. The vote didn’t go your way,” I frown.
His face falls and I shake my head he believed me so easily.
“Oh…I…Um…” his babbling sends everyone into fits of laughter and I stand up, pulling out his patch from my pocket.
“We’re just fuckin’ with you. Here,” I hand him the first patch of many that will mean anything and everything, “Welcome to the Lost Souls…brother.”
I pull him in for a hug and slap his back before releasing him and passing him off to the rest of the room.
I take my chair at the head of the table and enjoy seeing the club celebrating something for once.
I let them each welcome Dex into the brotherhood and call order back to the meeting.
“Now you’re a brother, you have a seat at the table and we’re about to discuss what we’re gonna do with Danny and his brother.”
“Let’s go with the flow and just fuck him up until he dies,” Sparky offers and I smile.
“I’m good with that,” Pope agrees.
“Me too,” Ricky puts in.
“Sounds like we have a plan. Tonight though, we party like tomorrow is the end of the world. We drink in the comfort of our club knowing we are no longer fighting, our loved ones are safe, and brothers are free to come and go without being taken and never return home. Tomorrow is a new day and one that marks the beginning of Danny’s end.”
Everyone agrees and I bang the gavel down. It doesn’t take long for the back room to empty and the bar to fill up. Sparky stays behind when he sees I haven’t moved.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, taking his seat again.
“Absolutely nothing,” I grin, “Now Danny is down in the basement, I’m starting to think of everything else we have to face.”
“Like what?”
“Like, Jake sniffing around and don’t forget John died because of the blast. We haven’t been held accountable for that yet, but I have a sinking feeling we will one day. Then there’s Hank and the diner. He still needs paying…”
“Cas, this shit is for another day. We’ll take care of Danny, wipe him off the face of the earth, celebrate it and then take care of the shit when it arises. It’s time the club came first, if only for a few days.”
He’s right. Jake, Hank, John, they can all wait until we’re ready to deal with them. The Lost Souls have always and always will be strong and unbreakable. There are times when it looks like we’re down, but looks can be deceiving. We’ll always rise, we’ll always end on top, we’ll always be Lost Souls till we die.